Jaundice is a condition that causes the skin of a newborn baby to turn yellow. This happens so because babies are born with extra red blood cells. After birth, the extra red blood cells break down and release a substance called bilirubin in the baby's blood. When there is too much bilirubin in the blood, the baby becomes jaundiced. This condition may last for 3-12 weeks after birth, but as long as bilirubin levels are monitored and the baby is feeding well, it rarely leads to any serious complications.